HK Ticketing appreciates the views expressed by J. Ferencova ('It is time to outlaw ticket scalpers', March 8).

Our first objective is to maximise the availability of tickets at their original price to those people who genuinely want to attend the event.

We agree that scalping of tickets is not good; we are seeking better means through technology and ticket-selling procedures to minimise it. Recent ticket buying activity indicates scalping is a growing trend and we will resist this practice in every lawful way we can.

This will involve co-operation between the venues and organisers we serve. HK Ticketing, as a contract service company, does not make all the decisions on how tickets are sold and how tickets are allocated. But, we will do our best to influence decisions made by our clients to prioritise the ticket availability to fans of the event, and minimise ways of exploiting the event for personal gain.

The speed of ticket sales and how quickly a show will sell out depends on many contributing factors. Obviously, demand (rate of buying on the system) drives it but there are other factors, such as the speed of credit card gateway approvals, the ticketing system's technological features, the number of tickets allowed to be sold per transaction by the organiser, and number of outlets.

There will be upcoming changes. The major change will be that opening-day sales for high-demand shows will normally only be for sale on the HK Ticketing website and through the ticket purchase hotline, as your correspondent has suggested. This policy was put into force on March 9 for ticket sales for the fourth Lady Gaga show. However, the organiser will continue to determine such things as prices, number of tickets sold per transaction, priority sales programmes and information made available to the public.

Where it is lawful for us to do so, we will prohibit multiple credit card transactions as this is the first sign of scalpers at work. There is ongoing global research into how best to deal with scalping as this is a worldwide problem. We hope better ways to deal with it will be put forward.

We understand the frustrations expressed by J. Ferencova and we are committed to confronting the trends that adversely affect the public's ability to see major entertainment in Hong Kong by being able to purchase tickets at their original value.